


Thrice-Cursed Wild Mage

by LadyRavenEye



Category: PIERCE Tamora - Works, The Immortals - Tamora Pierce, Tortall - Tamora Pierce
Genre: F/M, First Kiss
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-11
Updated: 2014-09-11
Packaged: 2018-02-17 00:09:11
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,147
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2289752
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LadyRavenEye/pseuds/LadyRavenEye
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Set right after Daine shows up the Carthaki boys with her archery skills.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Thrice-Cursed Wild Mage

Within a half a day of picking up the recurved bow, the thrice-cursed wild mage was hitting targets farther and smaller than Kaddar could ever dream of hitting himself. He envied Daine’s dragon, who had grown bored and wandered off sometime in the last few hours. Kaddar had to stand there, trying hard not to grind his teeth, as she hit her fourth bullseye in a row at a length the distance of his uncle’s imperial throne room.

She whirled to face the prince, eyes alight with pleasure and just a hint of pride--precisely the opposite of what Kaddar was feeling at this very moment. Her smoky curls settled around her face and Kaddar was grateful not for the first time that living under the thumb of Ozorne had trained him to keep his expression neutral regardless of what he felt underneath.

“I’m spent,” said Daine. “Can we get something cool to drink, please?”

Kaddar formally offered his arm, trying to ignore the chorus of protests of the young men whose admiration of Daine had clearly approached worshipful as the shooting had gone on. His jaw had become clenched again, and as Daine peaked slyly up at him through her magnificent gray eyes, he hurried to loosen it.

“Jealous?” she said as they walked back toward the main area of the palace.

“What? Jealous? Me?” Kaddar sputtered. “I—I hardly think that those, those _boys_ are—really, I mean, I am the prince and heir--” he stopped as Daine convulsed against him in laughter. She wiped away a tear with the same hand that was entwined with Kaddar’s arm, drawing them even closer still. Kaddar could smell her—sweat from the day’s physical demands, but other things, a beautiful musk that reminded him of plants and sunlight and—

“I meant of my shooting!”

“Oh,” he said. It was all he could think to say.

They continued down the hall in silence, Daine still grinning and Kaddar trying hard to relieve the burning feeling in his face and neck. A few turns later, and they had to stop short. A pair of slaves were deep in conversation and had come out from behind a wall-hanging directly in Kaddar and Daine’s path. The two bald-headed people had not been paying attention, but now they noticed the prince and the lady on his arm, and their expressions were a matched set of utter terror.

“Nobilities! Please forgive us!” one of them squeaked as both of them dropped to their knees. They were neither of them young. Daine’s brow creased, and she took her arm out of Kaddar’s. 

“Please, you did nothing wrong,” she said. “Please stand up. It’s no problem.”

The slaves were still muttering piteous apologies and scraping their heads against the floor. Kaddar looked from Daine to slaves and back again, and sighed. The thrice-cursed wild mage might be the death of him, quite literally.

“You may rise,” he said in his most imperial voice. “Be more careful next time,” he added. There were almost certainly listening spells around these corridors.

The slaves looked up in wide-eyed wonderment. Kaddar had no sour reputation specifically with the servants of the palace, but nobles and Ozorne especially might have taken a foot or worse from slaves that put themselves in the paths of their betters like that, intentional or no. 

“Nobilities?” said the second slave. Daine nodded encouragement. Needing no third urging, they hauled themselves up and scurried out of sight down the hallway.

Kaddar did not to meet Daine’s eyes.

“They should have been paying attention,” he said. Daine made a _tsk_ ing sound. Kaddar felt the burn return to his face, even less pleasant than before.

“Still, that was… quite kind of you,” she said after a moment. Now Kaddar felt it safe to look her in the face. She was surveying him, arms crossed across her body. She quirked her head, an expression Kaddar was still not sure if she had got from Kitten or Kitten got from her.

She stepped closer. Kaddar felt dizzy. She was reaching toward him with her arm, toward and passed him, sweeping something aside--? 

With her other hand, she shoved him bodily forward. Kaddar yelped, expecting his back to hit the wall—but instead he stumbled back into the tunnel from which the slaves had come. Daine tumbled against him and instantly his confusion and anger were knocked out of him as their legs tangled and she fell atop him, and they were both laughing, the sounds echoing through the hall—

And then she kissed him.

For a glorious second, he kissed her back. Her mouth was delicate and warm, and she was so close he was almost overwhelmed by her scent. But then it was over—Kaddar wrenched his head back and Daine scrambled off of him and to her feet, her bronze skin burning a special shade of pink in the torchlight. Kaddar could not sort out his thoughts, she had _kissed_ him, on the mouth, in a servant’s tunnel, on the floor. His lips felt on fire. His body did too.

“I’m sorry, I only thought—” she began.

“No! No, I’m sorry—” he said, and they babbled apologies at each other for a few moments until Kaddar stood up and took her by the shoulders, which quieted her. _Gods, her_ eyes! He shook his head to clear it.

“I cannot—it’s not—I am the prince and heir,” he said. He was trying to use his imperial voice again, but it sounded thin and high. 

“And I’m a Gallan-born bastard,” she said. Her voice was clear and sharp. 

“No! Not at all, I just. I cannot,” he said. “It would be… dishonorable. To lead you on, when I cannot marry you.” 

Daine threw back her mess of curls and laughed and laughed. The sound echoed and bounced through the tunnel and Kaddar dearly wished there were no servants about to hear their prince’s humiliation. He wanted to be mad at the thrice-cursed wild mage for mocking him so, but he could not take his eyes off her mouth.

Wiping a tear away, Daine said, “marriage? Odd’s bobs, Kaddar, I just _like_ you, and I wanted to kiss you because I’m only here a short time and I thought it would be fun to kiss a boy for the first time that was fun and nice and cute! That’s all!”

“The first time?” he said. That snapped the mirthful expression right out of her eyes. She turned to leave the tunnel. Kaddar grabbed her hand as gently as he could considering how frantic and stupid he felt, and she stilled.

“Mine too,” he said. It was all he could think to say.

Daine turned toward him, eyes soft, and twined her fingers in his. They stepped together.

“Want to go for two?” she said. 

Kaddar gulped, and nodded.


End file.
